Day of the Devs was founded in 2012 by iam8bit and Double Fine Productions to celebrate diversity and creativity in video games and give voice to underrepresented talents in the industry. They organize regular showcases that promote indie games at no cost to the developers and players.
On Monday, January 29, 2024, Day of the Devs made the big announcement that they have become a non-profit. The organizers said the 501c3 non-profit status will bring transparency to its fundraising effort to support indie developers.
ALSO READ: Ex-Volition Games Devs Form Shapeshifter Games, Winds Up Clockwork Revolution
“✨DAY OF THE DEVS IS NOW A 100% INDEPENDENT, NON-PROFIT PROPERTY! ✨,” the organizers announced on X. “Our mission has always been to help independent developers connect with their communities. Going nonprofit will help us do that, but to make it work…we’re gonna need your help.”
In addition to nonprofit status, Day of the Devs also announced that it had kicked off a $500,000 fundraising campaign. The organizers said it will help them in future events, to cover everything from video production to refreshments.
“Your support and generosity will help us pay for future events—staff, food, video production, & more,” the organizers posted on X. “We have BIG plans for 2024 and beyond, and we want to keep DOTD FREE for EVERYONE.”
At the time of writing this post, over $57,000 has already been donated to Day of the Devs which means that the organizers are 12% closer to their $500,000 goal. Previously, Day of the Devs organizers said they heavily relied on proceeds from game bundles, industry sponsorship, and volunteers to keep the show going—which was similar to how the nonprofit was run.
ALSO READ: 5 Must-Play AAA Titles In February 2024
However, making it official would “open us up to better funding opportunities, make our fundraising efforts more transparent and public, and help our sponsors and audience understand how critical their support truly is”.
Day of the Devs launches digital and physical bundles
To achieve the $500,000 goal, Day of the Devs has launched a digital and physical bundle. The digital bundle is a collection of games at the price of $100. According to the organizers, the games in the bundle are cumulatively worth over $500.
Those who purchase the digital bundle will also get VIP access to Day of Devs 2024: San Francisco and Day of the Devs 2024: The Game Awards Edition (Winter 2024). A total of 34 games are contained in the digital bundle including:
- A Little to the Left
- Afterparty
- Below
- Birth
- Broken Age
- Bugsnax
- Critter Crunch
- Escape Academy
- Everything
- Falcon Age
- Flinthook
- Frog Detective 1 & 2
- Gang Beasts
- Garbage Pail Kids
- GNOG
- Grindstone
- Knuckle Sandwich
- Loot Rascals
- Melatonin
- Mercenary Kings
- Mutzaione
- N++
- OXENFREE
- OXENFREE II: Lost Signals
- Psychonauts 2
- Return of the Obra Dinn
- Rez Infinite
- Sea of Stars
- SPORTSFRIENDS
- Subnautica
- Super T.I.M.E. Force
- Thumper
- Toem
- Venba
Those who donate in the form of purchasing the more expensive physical bundle which costs $250 will get everything in the digital bundle including a loot box that contains Day of the Devs branded mug, socks, and custom keychain.
ALSO READ: 7 Biggest Video Game Flops Of 2023 That Left Gamers Feeling Scammed
The announcement that Day of the Devs has become a nonprofit was mostly met with excitement and enthusiasm across the gaming community. However, not everyone felt the same. On Reddit, GameBaba Universe spotted several comments that thought the bundles were overpriced.
One Redditor said that most gamers can barely pay $70 for a new game every few months while another said other bundles they have seen are usually way cheaper. Perhaps, that explains why they are still far away from their target. All eyes will be on Day of the Devs to see how their transition to a nonprofit will impact the next show.
